A waitress at a Charlotte, N.C., Waffle House says her managers forced her to return a $1,000 tip left by a man on Mother's Day, a local newspaper reported.

Shaina Brown was working at 3 a.m. when the man came in for a Texas bacon patty melt, she told the Charlotte Observer. She told he paper the man said: "I'm going to bless you tonight," and put down a tip of $1,500. He asked Brown to give $500 to a woman at another table.

But a Waffle House spokeswoman Kelly Thrasher confirmed to the paper the chain doesn't let wait staff keep large tips on credit card receipts because the customer may come back and dispute the charge. If the man really wanted her to have the tip, he could give her cash or a cheque.

When contacted by the newspaper, the local businessman who did not want to be named, said that was exactly what he would do.